Artificial Paradise
by hilzanne
Summary: She was unsure when exactly subconsciousness faded into wakefulness, but she became increasingly aware of the intense pain in her head. "I need Donnie." Sweet little Apritello story.
1. Chapter 1

She was unsure when exactly subconsciousness faded into wakefulness, but April slowly started to become aware of the pillow beneath her head, and how closely it resembled concrete. She felt as if rail spikes had been driven through her skull, or like someone had dropped a bowling ball on her while she slept.

Soon she was fully conscious, aware of each wave of pain shooting through her brain. Her eyes remained tightly shut, and she carefully curled her legs up into her torso. She felt as if she were covered with sheets of ice instead of cotton and fleece. Her muscles shivered beneath her frozen skin as she tried to bundle herself closely for warmth.

The pain was unbearable. She wanted to cry, but knew it would only make the headache worse. Her stomach began to churn like the high seas as she turned over in her uncomfortable bed. April carefully opened her eyes, met by the blaring red numbers on her alarm clock. Even the miniscule source of light sent more pain through her head. 5:16AM.

She snapped her eyes shut again, taking slow, cleansing breaths through her nose. Focusing on anything but her nausea helped her ignore it, temporarily at least. April lay in bed for what felt like hours, trying to calm her severely upset stomach. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful. Her eyes shot open and she threw the covers off in an instant before sprinting down the hall to the bathroom.

April wiped the bitter taste from her mouth and slowly sauntered back to her bed, feeling surprisingly better. After a few more moments of laying in the pitch blackness of her room, she realized her nausea was returning.

_Oh no, _she thought to herself. _I need medicine. Bad._

She whimpered at the thought of the sparsely stocked medicine cabinet in the kitchen. Ibuprofen would not even put a dent in the intense migraine crushing her skull.

Barely opening her eyes, she reached to her bedside table to grab her T-phone. Even with her eyes partially closed, her muscle memory speed-dialed the only person she knew could help her at any time of day.

A groggy voice answered after three rings. "Gughh... Donatello."

"I'm really sick Donnie. My head is killing me... I need medicine," April's frail voice cracked.

Instantly, Donatello went into serious mode. "Nausea or vomiting?"

"Yes to both."

"Pain level?"

"Extreme. Eight out of ten."

"I'll be there in ten minutes." The phone clicked off, and April dropped it out of her hand and onto the floor. She cocooned herself in her favorite thick blanket and breathed slowly through her nose.

As promised, a small knock sounded at her window exactly ten minutes later. Donatello climbed through and padded silently over to the bed, kneeling beside it. He brushed April's sweaty bangs away from her forehead.

"April?" he said in a gentle whisper. "You okay? Have you vomited any more since we talked?"

Her cerulean eyes slowly opened. Donnie was taken aback at how hollow they looked. Dark shadows fell underneath them, making her look deathly.

"Only puked once, thank goodness." Her eyes fell shut again.

He pressed his large hand against her forehead, gauging her internal temperature.

"Do you feel cold, or have chills?" he asked. April nodded her head ever so slightly. "You're running a fever. Have you taken any medicine at all in the past eight hours?" She shook her head no.

Donatello placed a hand on her burning hot cheek. "Have you eaten anything in the past few hours? Was there anything on your stomach when you threw up?"

April gave a small, "No."

Donnie stood up and left the room, but soon returned with a can of Sprite and a thick wool blanket. He cracked open the can of soda, then reached into the bag he had brought with him.

"I've got a couple things I want you to take. The pills are really tiny, so you should be okay. This is Imitrex, and it should help with the headache. Here's some Ibuprofen to bring down that fever, and this one is Phenergan. It will take care of the nausea, but it will also knock you out for a few hours." He carefully sat April up in her bed and handed her the two small pills and Sprite.

"Just a tiny sip," he said as she tossed her head back and downed the medicine.

"Mmm..." April groaned. "It tastes so sweet." She took another small drink of the soda.

Donnie helped lay April back down and pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Well, you vomited just stomach acid, which is incredibly bitter. Sprite is very soothing to the stomach, just be careful not to drink too much. We don't want to overwhelm your already upset stomach."

Donatello tucked the fleece blankets in all the way around April's body before spreading the wool one out over her as well. She sighed quietly.

"Do you need anything else?" he whispered as he crouched down beside her again.

Her normally bright eyes seemed dull and lifeless. "Please don't leave," she breathed. Her small hand reached out from under the covered and brushed Donnie's cheek gently.

They remained looking at one another for a few moments, Donatello relishing her sweet touch. He grabbed her hand with both of his and pressed it between them.

"I'm not going anywhere, April."

A small flash of life shone in her eyes and a small smile crept across her face.

"How about I get you a cool washcloth for you?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and nodded.

When he returned, April was facing the middle of her bed, still curled up in the cocoon of sheets. He sat down on the edge and laid the cool rag across her forehead. She met his hand with hers in a silent gesture of gratitude. Donnie smiled at the redhead. Even though she was miserable with pain, she still made his heart flutter at the lightest touch.

He stood up and walked over to the window. The clouds were becoming streaked with pink and lavender as the sun began to rise. Donatello admired them before pulling the curtains shut so the light would not bother April.

"Don?" said a still weak voice.

He walked back over to the bed and sat down beside April.

"Do you need me to get you anything?"

"No..." she trailed off. "Just... Be with me."

April pulled the top wool blanket back, inviting Donnie to join her in the bed.

"Okay," he whispered as he slid his body under the warm cover. He laid on his side, facing her. She scooted herself closer to him, laying her head against his plastron. Donatello adjusted the washcloth on her forehead as she snuggled into him as much as she could.

"You're warm," she breathed, even though there were a few layers of blankets between their bodies.

Donnie stretched his arm out underneath April's pillow and wrapped the other around her in the blanket cocoon. He began to lightly stroke her messy hair when he had the uncontrollable urge to kiss the top of her head. So he did.

April sighed and pressed herself further into Donatello.

"You starting to feel the medicine work yet?" he whispered.

"My head is feeling kind of fuzzy," she replied quietly.

"You should be falling asleep any minute now, April. And I promise, you'll feel a hundred percent better when you wake up."

She groaned a bit. "Mmm... Donnie..."

"What, April?" he breathed in her ear.

But she simply let out a long breath and fell silent.

Donatello watched her body become still and her breaths became even and deep. He rested his cheek on the top of her messy red hair, breathing in the smell of her minty shampoo. The medicine did not take long to take effect, and April's eyelids soon began to flutter, signaling that she had fallen into REM sleep.

The turtle slightly adjusted his arm under April's pillow. She was so heavily medicated, he doubted dumping her onto the floor would wake her up, but he still moved gingerly next to the young girl. He nuzzled his cheek against her head and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep as well.

April was floating in a cloud of warmth. A gentle breeze blew across her face in the pitch blackness. She felt no pain, just an odd sensation that her head weighed far too much. She did not dare to open her eyes, just in case the the warmth and painlessness was not real. All of the sudden she felt her bed underneath her, the pillow cradling her heavy skull. And she sensed she was not alone.

Her eyelids slid open with great effort and were met with a dim light struggling to shine through her dark curtains. There was just enough illumination for her to make out the purple-masked face before her.

Donatello's even breaths blew across her face like a cool breeze. His strong arms encased her in warmth along with the layers of blankets surrounding her. April stared at his peaceful expression as he slept. She loved seeing him concentrate on his work or intensely training in the dojo, but hardly ever got to see him so perfectly relaxed. He looked very different.

Beautiful.

April felt the gravity of the medication forcing her eyelids to close again, so she placed her cheek on Donatello's plastron, head right under his chin and allowed herself to drift away on the cloud of unconsciousness once again.


	2. Chapter 2

Donatello laid on his carapace, staring at the ceiling. The room was silent other than April's slow, even breaths. Light began to punch through the curtain as the sun rose higher in the sky. Donnie thought of his brothers, who were probably eating breakfast and wondering where he was. The turtle grabbed his tPhone from the bedside table and sent a brief text to his eldest brother.

_Donatello: April called me early this morning, said she was really sick. I'm going to stick around until she's better, then I'll be home. Tell Sensei I'll make up training this evening_

He placed the phone back on the night stand and allowed his eyes to fall shut. A few moments later, the phone buzzed.

_Leonardo: No problem, Don. Hope she gets better soon. Mikey says to tell her hi_

Donnie smiled at his youngest brother just as he heard a small groan from the girl beside him. He turned over on his side to see her moving slightly. Her jaw locked into a yawn and she began to stretch. Donatello laid his head back down onto the pillow and smiled at her.

April's eyes slowly slid open, looking fully alive and back to their normal blue. The corners of her mouth curled into a sleepy smile.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi," Donnie replied in a near whisper.

The pair remained facing one another silently for a few moments. April began to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

"Feeling better?" Donnie asked.

Still drowsy, she wordlessly replied with a nod and grumbly _mm-hmm._

"Do you feel like you could eat something?" he asked.

April's eyes flew open and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, definitely."

Donatello began to sit up and climb out from under the blanket. April began to do the same, but he stopped her.

"Just stay there. I'll bring you breakfast in bed. How does that sound?" he suggested.

She smiled, but shook her head. "You don't need to do that for me, Donnie. I feel so much better now."

Donatello walked around the bed to April and pulled her covers back over her. "No, really. Let me do this for you."

April frowned a bit. "Are you sure, Don?"

"Yes," he said through a chuckle.

Soon the apartment was filled with the smell of bacon. April's stomach growled as she sat up in her bed, happily anticipating a good breakfast. Donnie appeared in her doorway with a large tray. He sat on April's side of the bed and handed her a tall glass of orange juice.

"I attempted an omelette, but it just turned into scrambled eggs. Mikey is a much better cook than I am. Oh, and I almost forgot: Mikey says hi," Donnie remarked as he laid the tray across April's lap and removed a plate for himself.

She chuckled at him. "Scrambled eggs are my favorite anyway. And you can tell Mikey that I said 'hi' too." She took a bite of toast and tapped the open bed beside her. "Join me?"

The turtle grinned. "Certainly."

Just as Donnie sat back on the bed, he asked, "So where did that headache come from? Do you get them often?"

April took a sip of her orange juice. "I actually used to get migraines like that all the time when I was a kid. I don't really know when or why they happen. Just something I have to deal with every now and then," she explained.

Donatello furrowed his brow and looked at her. "That's miserable though. Isn't there anything you can do to prevent them?"

She shook her head. "I never know when they'll happen. I just have to take medicine as quickly as I can and tough it out."

The turtle munched on a strip of bacon. "That's awful, April. I'm glad you called me."

"Yeah, me too," April said. "It's good to know you're only a few minutes away when I need you. And I definitely needed you this morning." She stole a glance out of the corner of her eye, making her blush slightly.

"Thank you, Donnie," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on her breakfast. "You just being here has meant a lot."

Although she refused to make eye contact with him, she could feel his eyes burning into her. Donatello truly was special, especially to her. He never failed her, never let her down, never disappointed her.

The turtle chuckled. "You should know by now that all you need to do is say three words: Get here now." 

April laughed, and they smiled at each other. A surge of guts came over her and she quickly leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek before filling her mouth with orange juice again.

She saw Donnie's face light up with blush and an uncontrollable smile spread across his face. His voice cracked a little when he spoke.

"So, are you going to try to make it into school for the rest of the day?" he asked.

April scrunched up her face in thought and checked her clock. "Well, I've already missed English class, and trigonometry is almost over now. I guess I could try to make it in. I still don't feet like I'm back at one-hundred percent, though."

"Well, then," Donnie started. "Maybe you should just play hookie for the rest of the day. No harm in missing one day, right?"

April began to smile. "As long as we can move this little game of hookie to the lair."

The turtle beamed and took her empty plate and glass. "As long as you think you feel well enough, I'd be happy to have you there."

"If I'm going to miss school, I might as well spend it with you guys. Let me text Casey about the homework and get cleaned up, then we'll go." April climbed out of bed a stretched a little before wobbling and sitting back down.

"You okay?" Donnie asked.

She rubbed her temples for a moment. "Yeah, just a little light-headed from the medicine."

Donnie placed the tray of dishes on the bed and knelt in front of April. "Just take it nice and easy, alright?"

She nodded and tried to stand again with Donnie holding her elbow to support her. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "I think I'm good now. Thanks, Don."

The turtle took the tray of dishes into the kitchen as April fired a text message to Casey.

_April: Hey Casey, I'm sick today. Can you bring my homework over to the lair sometime this evening?_

She walked down the hallway to the bathroom and placed her tPhone on the counter next to the sink. April began to brush her teeth, but let out a loud _blech!_

"You okay, April?" Donatello called down the hallway.

She laughed a little. "Yeah I'm fine! Orange juice and toothpaste make a horrible combination!" she shouted back to the turtle. She finished brushing her teeth and spit, just as her tPhone buzzed.

Donnie appeared in the doorway as April brushed her hair.

"Can you read me Casey's text?" she asked.

Donatello grabbed her phone and leaned his shell against the door frame.

"Um..." Donnie started. "He doesn't seem too happy."

April furrowed her brow. "What did he say?"

Donnie read the text aloud. "He said, 'Oh, so you're sick enough to skip school, but not enough to skip hanging out with Donnie Boy?'"

April pulled her hair into her signature low ponytail and rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Whatever. He'll get over it. And he had better still bring me my homework. Let me throw on something other than pajamas and we'll go."

She squeezed past Donnie and walked back down the hall to her bedroom. As she was about to shut the door, the turtle stopped her.

"Do you want me to text him back?" he asked.

April pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. A sly smile spread across her face and she grabbed her phone. She quickly texted Casey, then handed it back to Donatello. "There, let's see what snarky reply he has for that."

The door shut and Donnie looked back at the tPhone, reading the text she had sent.

_April: Just bring me my homework, Casey. And jealousy is the ugliest trait :)_


End file.
